'90 Bontrager OR

[br0qn]

I bought this bike from someone else on the same morning I picked up the '94/7 frame. Initially I just wanted to harvest the fork. They're hard to find and cost what I paid for the full bike when you can find them. But before I could do anything I learned how special these earlier ones are.

Here it is as found.

[br0qn]

It is the first bike I built up with the help of a friend. Most of the parts on here were supposed to got on a '92 Marin Team Issue frameset I had but the TT on the 17" ended up being too long for me so that got moved on and all the parts ended up on here.

It's a bit random. I knew not one thing about bikes when I started collecting parts for the build, just found things I liked the look of and bought them over the course of several months. I love it.










It's a 2x9 and the front mech I bought was for the Marin and wouldn't work for this so been hand shifting that front ring ;D Not so bad, I run the big ring until I get to the trails and then it's small time.

One of the first outings on Sutro in San Francisco

[br0qn]

the early ORs are special for several reasons.

This one predates the Race & Race Lite designations and also letter (XS,S,M etc) sizing and so is sized in inches and is an 18" Geometry is different and easy to tell with the flat top tube. Most all you see have the later sloping top tube unless they're the XL / XXL

The early gussets, before they started ordering them laser cut, were all hand cut out of scrap tubes which were True Temper ATX 4130.



A lot of what KB was trying to do was strike a balance with strong and light. Apparently he coined the saying " Strong, light, cheap, pick two." So the top tube cable guides are bonded and riveted so as not to weaken the tubes with brazing. The bottle cage bosses are also bonded.




Also the rear cable stop was brazed on and has a pump peg on the underside.

[Matt92037]

Nice work!

Some Bontrager love on Pinkbike

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/now-th...race-lite.html

[Jeff Weir]

Original Bontrager fork???? Beyond awsome
GREAT score

[br0qn]

Originally Posted by Matt92037

Nice work!

Some Bontrager love on Pinkbike

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/now-th...race-lite.html

That is a great article, I need to re-read it. If you want to geek out for an hour and half and hear the man talk tech, you can watch this video from '94

Originally Posted by Jeff Weir

Original Bontrager fork???? Beyond awsome
GREAT score

Ya I was stoked to find the fork, but this early a frame is an even better score.

[charliedid]

Very nice. Let's call that fork early but not original as the original did have curved blades back in 1987.

You have great taste in older bikes. Have fun.

[d_douglas]

These Bontrager MTBs are e making me want to go out and find an XL frame and some XT thumbshifters!

So cool.

[br0qn]

Originally Posted by charliedid

Very nice. Let's call that fork early but not original as the original did have curved blades back in 1987.

You have great taste in older bikes. Have fun.

Well original in that it's made in Santa Cruz with the design he patented! But yes there were many variations curved legs, different gauge tubes, different offsets, different leg length...

Thanks by the way! It's seen a lot of miles since the photos here. I'm half thinking to re build it up closer to period spec with full XC Pro. I love the 1 piece bullmoose but I recently was able to get a Botnrager 1 piece bar/stem quill with the riveted bars.

Originally Posted by d_douglas

These Bontrager MTBs are e making me want to go out and find an XL frame and some XT thumbshifters!

So cool.

Do it! Can be tricky just searching the usual marketplaces because "Bontrager" brings up 100's of Trek made components so you've gotta comb. That said there is a big one on ebay right now that comes with a crank, but sadly no fork.

Geometry chart here below though it's for the later Race / Race Lite models with different geometry than mine above but it will apply to most of what you find.